A California mosque was set ablaze in ‘clear homage’ to the New Zealand terrorist attack

The Muslim community in Escondido, Calif., gathered a week ago for an interfaith prayer vigil, insisting that a distance of nearly 7,000 miles did not ease the pain they felt for the 50 victims of a pair of mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand.

They assembled again on Sunday evening, uttering prayers that echoed like a grim refrain. This time, they turned their attention to one of their own mosques, whose walls had been blackened in an apparent act of arson announcing its intentions with graffiti citing the March 15 attack in New Zealand.